The Arizona sentinel., 1887-01-08
CHARACTER IN WALK.
Peoples Feet a Sure Indication of Their
 Temperament and Occupation.

Peoples Feet a Sure Indication of Their
 Temperament and Occupation.
 "Palmistry is the new art, l under stand, for delineating character" re- marked a smart young detective, ''or rather, it very old one revived, but for our business the hands don't show half so much character as the feet. In foot-gear, if the subject be properly studied, there will be found more to in- dicate the character of the wearer than most people have any idea of. It's quite an easy matter for man to dis guise his facial appearance; it may be done by dyeing the hair or beard, or by cutting off the hair close, or by shaving the beard, or by wearing it in a different style; but a man old enough to wear beard can never disguise his walk, he can't destroy the conformation of his feet, and if he have a tendency to run his shoes down in the heel it's an in- valuable piece of information to the de- tective who wants him. Just to illus trate how this works III tell you story.
 'Not great while ago 1 received tin-type picture of young man who was wanted in the East. It was very bad picture; part of the face was blurred, and only the eyes and nose were visible with distinctness and char acter enough to make it a comparative ly easy matter to pick out our man should we ever meet him. His cloth ing was well pictured, and its style, cut and finish gave us an idea as to where we might expect to run across such fellow. The clothing was nothing if not fiashy, and we concluded it would be the style of dress a small-fry gam bier would banker after. We went to a gambling-house, and pretty soon we met young who looked exactly like the party we wanted. We were just about to take hold of him, when his double, man having his features, the color of his hair and eyes, turned up, and for an instant we didn't know what to do.
 '.Either one of those two men might have been taken for the original of the tintvpe, and we don't know which was which. From their shoulders up the resemblance was astonishing, but it ended there. The utmost difference in their appearance was noted when the men commenced to stir about. Our man was waiter by occupation, and we observed that one of the men while walking strode on boldly, putting out one foot in front of the other in almost two straight lines, while the other fel- low toed out, and when he walked it was apparently, as much as he could do to keep his heels from striking to- gether. My partner looked at him a moment and said: That is waiter
 |" How do you know?n I asked"
 "'See how he walks, was the reply. He puts out each foot sideways as if he feared he was going to get tripped up on account of his long apron- Nearly all walters toe out because of their long aprons. He's got the walk, and that's our nan,
 Well, it turned cut to be true. lie WIS our man, and it was the simple matter of his style of walk, due to the conformation of his feet, that led to his arrest. We got him just in time, as he had considerable money with him, and he had decided to leave town at once. Now that was a clear case in proof of the character that is manifested in feet and in foot-gear, both shoes and boots. He walked with his toes turned out far out-and we knew that a man with alI apron in front of him reaching to the bottom of his trousers naturally walks so that he strikes each foot against the farthest side of the apron, thus to prevent its tripping him up. Teamsters, or those of them who wear long rubber coats, do the same thing. Sometimes the character of a mans thoughts can be pretty nearly deter mined by the way in which he walks when his mind is busy. Thieves and foxy people in general walk very much like eat.
 ''But there is just as much character in boots and shoes as there is in the feet that wear them. It's a common belief that big foot is a sure sign of good nature. My observation goes to show it's a sure sign of a very coarse nature Then there is the long, slender shoe of the nervous crank and the short, wide boot of the pig-headed in dividual, who is just as much crank. Look at the sandal worn by the Chi nese; don't they suggest feeble intel feet? Then think of the old wooden shoes worn by the old-country peas ants; ain't they perfectly adapted to the rough work out of doors? And see, too, the mOccasin of the Indian; what better would suit his peculiar needs?
 ''Oh, yes; there is a good deal of character in boots and shoes, especial ly if they are old ones. ."-TeraS Neo0S.